Featured Terminology question

I don't know of a good online glossary, but will try to find out...

 

I asked on another site and somebody replied with this interesting link:

http://cool.conservation-us.org/don/don.html

This includes a lot of terms related to condition of books. The person who gave the link also said that he normally doesn't use the words "damage" or "defect." He prefers to use more specific terminology.

 

Thanks! That's great. I work at an auctioneers and we do both - write 'damage' and describe it in detail.

 

If you frequently get Keris in then Yyou need Garret Solyom of Hawaii's book on "The world of the Javanese Keris" he is probably the top US expert. Some of these old ones are worth many 1,000s of $ s and it isn't always that obvious. Even newish ones can be worth 100s of $ s. Well worth buying the book to avoid costly errors.

 

Thanks, I grew up with keris and live in a keris loving country. I know value isn't obvious to the untrained eye. But I know which pamors and dapurs are rare, so no costly errors here.
I know the book, and if I were limited to the English language I would have bought it. It is one of the best older books on Javanese keris in English, and he used a lot of older Dutch books as well as Javanese sources. He certainly did a wonderful job, although limiting himself to Java.
I am Dutch, so I can read the books he used. I also read several other European languages, and have some knowledge of Indonesian. I have some of the best books available, in Indonesian, Dutch, German, Danish, French, as well as the late K.S. Jensen's famous Krisdisk.
I mainly collect Madurese keris, and the little information available on those is often unreliable. That is one of the main reasons I am writing a book on keris myself, and also to continue the tradition of Martin Kerner and K.S. Jensen of reconnecting keris information with the spiritual and cultural origins.

 

You go girl !!!!!!!

 

Thanks komo.
Just an illustration of a rare dapur (shape of the blade), called Kebo Lajer. Looks like an extremely simple keris, but the dapur is highly collectible. The sheath is nice too, carved from a single solid piece of wood.

 

hey...that looks like mine.....

 

It is the high gandik, that straight vertical part on the right near the base. That's what makes it Kebo Lajer.
I remember you had one with a rare pamor.

 

White white metal lines in it...right ?

 

Yes, the whitish and greyish pattern on the blade. But beware of these horrendous things, Balinese tourist junk:

 

Thankx.....but as for me....I know my blades better than to fall in that trap !!

 

I know you do komo, but others might stumble upon this thread.
I regularly see bids on Balinese tourist 'keris' exceeding 400 euro. The same bidders will ignore a rare keris in the same auction. Not that I mind, if they ignore a good keris I have more of a chance.

 

400 Euro's......bahhh...here's the stuff that drives me crazy......although with each passing day......I feel less remorse for bidders that are THIS stupid.....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NORTHWEST-C...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

This is one nasty seller......as u can see below...

( & I have pics of most all of his other NWC carvings , from other sources, showing them to be fakes...)

 

Unbelievable.

 

What ..really.....I've seen even worse !!
But ya......this is batshit nasty !!!

 

"(Item has not been authenticated as to Wood Species, Artist, Date, or Origin)"

I think the line quoted above (the last line in the description/instructions for payment and "schmooze job") says it all.

 

Yes, there are certainly more unscrupulous traders in NW Coast art than in keris. With keris it is usually plain ignorance, or the weird 'folklore'.
For instance, men often tell me it is bad luck if a woman handles a keris. (Only if the woman has to defend herself against ignorant men).
Or women should stick to making batik. One of the most famous keris smiths was Ni Sombro, a woman. My general comment to keris misogynists:

Or a keris can only be traded for another item, if money is involved in a transaction it will turn against you. Nonsense, the money you pay is referred to as a dowry, that's all.
Then there are all those people who think keris are used for black magic. The list goes on....

 

They don't work that way????????????????

Toddling off to cancel an offer........................